Compassion By Design

Both camps are making lots of pronouncements about their plans for faith based.  I believe it boils down to a single issue– religious hiring rights.  If you want to know who will help us keep our religious freedom when serving with public resources, this is the primary issue. 

Many other issues have been settled by law or by court decision, but this one remains a great risk for those who accept federal funds. Some funds exempt us from having to hire outside our religious beliefs, others do not– but it is a deal breaker for most of us, if we are forced to hire those with lifestyles that are antithetical to our faith.

You can learn more about this at the center for public justice.  www.cpjustice.org.  You can also get grant help (including knowing which funds to accept or to reject), but checking out grant services at www.compassionbydesign.org.  And even funds that don’t come to you directly from the federal government can carry these risks or protections.

June 2 & 3rd, Compassion by Design will offer a 2 day intensive training on needs assessment for church leaders of both new churches and churches working to turn the missional corner.  This training provides the skills and insights that will you allow you to lead your new church team or church volunteers through a high impact needs assessment.  The outcomes will include lots of new relationships, insights into community ministry, new partnerships and real growth in the lives of all who participate.  Email dmills@compassionbydesign.org if you would like to attend.  The event will be held in Burlington New Jersey and begin at 1 p.m. on the 2nd, concluding at 4 p.m. on the 3rd.  David Mills, author of two needs assessment manuals for new and existing churches will lead the training for compassion by design.

We live in an age in which the art and science of church planting is developing in fantastic ways.  The Exponential Conference, that will occur next week in Orlando is a gathering of 2500 church leaders and planters from all corners of the denominational (and non) spectrum that will hear and share some of the best approaches to growing new churches on purpose.

In many ways, we know that what goes into a new church (leadership, style, location, etc.), will have a lot to say about what that new church becomes.  And since many believe that new churches are our best hope to turning around the slide of American church, and to create a new renaissance of faith in America, how we grow new churches is critical. 

The truth is, we are planting these new churches on purpose.  They are in many ways, designer babies of the church world, and we are growing some great new churches that really exemplify a modern faith expression that is true to the historic life of Christ, but with a style that fits modern America.  I am afraid that we are missing one big ingredient in the new mix–the capacity to touch our communities.

If we are going to design new churches on purpose, then I cannot imagine a new church being born without the intentional capacity to serve its community.  This is not just a thanksgiving basket or a painting day in the neighborhood.  Just like we plan in a worship team, children’s team, pulpit team and set up team, we have to plan for service. 

The church that is born without the built in capacity to reach out through service,

is born out of season and without the ability to reproduce.

The ability to intentionally engage the congregation in service, and the infrastructure to connect to the community needs to be built into the beginning effort, not added later as an afterthought.  That means we must use the latest tools of needs assessment, community based organizations and effective service planning on purpose, and we do it as a part of our new church process.  If it is an afterthought we will birth new churches that cannot reach the un-churched effectively and may even grow a church that is really not missional or incarnational at all. 

At Compassion by Design, we are publically announcing our effort to share support tools for this process at the Exponential conference, and it will include availability of a Community Based Organization for church planters, a 12 month coaching program and toolkits that support the process– you are invited to join us. 

If you are growing a new church today, don’t forget to design in the important elements that will connect you to the community and take you into the next decade.

I had the joy of accompanying the founders of Angel Food Ministry to the Compassion in Action Roundtable held in the Executive Office Building at the White House last week. What makes this unique is that Angel Food is a program that is operated almost exclusively through local churches. By providing essential nutrition to anyone who needs it, and using fresh high quality groceries with a healthy dose of meat, instead of surplus or donated goods, Angel food has grown from 34 boxes off a back porch in Georgia, to nearly a half million per month. In fact, currently in its peak months, Angel Food serves more people than the USDA Food Commodities Program. It is kind of like the 800 pound Gorilla of food ministry that is quietly serving all over the nation. It won’t be long until this ministry is at a million boxes a month and grows from 35 to 50 states.

What is probably more important, is the practical and meaningful way that this ministry allows churches to energize their outreach. Rather than making food available only during the holidays or based upon whatever food can be gleaned, Angel Food is allowing local churches (some 4,000) to touch people with meaningful encouragement twice each month—once when they order from a monthly menu and then again when their food is delivered. This bi-monthly contact that is tied to quality food, in addition to the dignity that is built-in (order from a menu and participate financially along side of people from all need levels and backgrounds), make it a great outreach tool for many churches looking for a way to serve. It allows these churches to help their own members as well as show practical kindness and friendship to lots of people outside the church—ideal community service.

This quote from an experienced pastor says it well:
“We have been doing Angel Food for about three months now. What an outstanding ministry. We usually deliver about 1,000 thanksgiving baskets, but I have always felt like that is putting a band aid on a gaping wound. Angel Food is a real helpful solution. We expect to be handling 700 to 800 families by the end of the year.
 


Pastor Don Hamilton Capital Area Christian Church, PA

If you are looking to find a way to start community service, Angel Food could give you a big start. It addresses practical nutrition needs, mobilizes and helps church members, and can even take the edge off rising food and gasoline prices.

You can learn more or apply here.
Angel Food Press Release